The overall landscape of the construction industry has been changing in recent years, driven by an expanding interest in areas such as Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA), Modern Methods of Construction (MMC), and the use of transformative new technologies ranging from digital design tools to construction robotics and intelligent control systems.

The facts are becoming increasingly clear: putting grass on roofs or achieving a gold plaque changes almost nothing; we need ambitious and holistic solutions at every level..In the past, shifting a project to prioritise the environment was often and easily rejected or written off as something that could be and needed to be sacrificed on the altar of cost.

Design to Value naturally seeks wider and synergistic value, leading, supporting and embracing these needs as an opportunity to innovate: the environment is not an encumbrance, but a space for crucial change through design..Thinking beyond standards, Design to Value can look at absolutes and even further can look for redemption.The most significant and perhaps difficult question needed to be addressed in every project is: how can we not build things we don’t really need even if they have a financial return?

A factory in Japan was due for closure and demolition as it no longer met the requirements for withstanding an earthquake after rules were changed following the earthquake and tsunami of 2011.Studies to look at remediating the buildings had suggested the need to cease operations for 18 months, meaning the solution was unviable.

Although the client was looking for the most efficient replacement factory, the Design to Value approach – combined with clever thinking and seismic modelling – came up with a solution to support the existing building.

This eradicated the need to replace or shut down the operation, saving the client more than £120 million – not to mention tonnes of embedded and emitted carbon in the construction of a new asset..The conclusion we came to was to knock down a series of existing buildings close to the current facility.

This would allow us to build the new refinery while keeping the old one going for as long as possible, before transferring operations to the new one.. As you can imagine, a refinery is a hugely technical building and the M&E element is the most significant part of the project.We designed the building, it went out to tender and is currently in construction.

It’s due to be completed later this year, with commissioning taking until 2023.We are continuing to work on the project as Design Guardian.. A complete mechanical and electrical engineering solution.